Warriors’ third quarter storm too much for Jazz as they drop third straight

Utah Jazz guard Ricky Rubio sits on the bench during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. The Warriors won 126-101. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

FINAL SCORE

GSW

126

JAZZ

101

They’re (Warriors) the best team in the league in the third quarter and we talked about it.—Jazz coach Quin Snyder

Utah suffered its 10th loss over the last dozen games, 126-101, falling completely apart in the third.

For two quarters, the game was competitive until the league’s strongest second-half team went on a patented 42-22 run to blow the game wide open. The Dubs shot 73.9 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from 3 during that third-quarter stretch while holding the Jazz to 37.5 shooting.

Golden State also scored 20 points in the paint in front of the 257th consecutive sellout crowd, leading by as many as 21, without two-time MVP Stephen Curry as he continues to heal from a sprained right ankle. Utah couldn’t overcome that storm.

“The last play of the second quarter, we had a breakdown,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “They should’ve switched and we didn’t and gave up the 3. They’re the best team in the league in the third quarter and we talked about it.

“We had some breakdowns just where guys weren’t focused on doing our job and they’re a team where if you make a mistake, they make you pay.”

Draymond Green paced the Warriors with a near triple-double, posting 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 25 minutes. The Warriors are undefeated when Green posts a triple-double (20-0).

Kevin Durant added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists on 7-for-10 shooting in 29 minutes.

With Green fulfilling an early playmaking role, the Warriors jumped to a quick 10-2 lead, but the Jazz fought back with a 22-13 run to ender the first quarter leading 24-23.

Thabo Sefolosha did not play in Tuesday’s loss in Denver but entered the starting lineup against the defending champs, even displaying his springs at 6:53 in the first with a driving dunk but both teams shot below 40 percent from the field in the opening quarter.

Green gave the Warriors a 48-47 edge at halftime with a 3-pointer before the buzzer. He ended the half with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, but the Dubs connected on just 25 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. Durant also posted 10 at the break.

Derrick Favors led Utah at the break with 12 points and eight boards. Favors would end with 17 points and 10 rebounds as Rodney Hood posted a team-high 26 points off the bench.

Sefolosha added 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals while rookie Donovan Mitchell finished with 17 points and seven rebounds after picking it up near the end.

The Warriors have now won 18 of the last 20 matchups against the Jazz.

“We just lost our focus on the things that we needed to do,” Snyder said. “In transition defense, we did a good job in the first half getting back, limiting their fastbreak points and in the second half we didn’t.

“In one sense, we should feel like if we execute we should be competitive but our margin for error in those situations against a team like this is not very large.”